Lions Allen Meyer and Loni Stumpff take a break from sorting hamburger buns to smile for the camera. (Callie Jones/Journal-Advocate)

STERLING — The Blue and Gold have arrived. Tuesday marked the start of the 85th annual Colorado State FFA Convention, which is being held on the campus of Northeastern Junior College through Thursday.

Approximately 1,500 FFA students, along with their teachers and a few family members, are expected to be in Sterling this week for the State Convention. While here they will compete in a number of events and be recognized for their work throughout the school year. Some will also receive scholarships.

As the FFA members arrived on the NJC campus Tuesday, they unloaded their buses and headed straight to the dorm rooms to get a look at their accomodations for the day. During the convention the students will have a unique opportunity to experience what living on a college campus is like.

While some competitions were already getting underway yesterday, there were also a number of fun events to welcome students to campus.

In the afteroon the FFA members got things moving with a volleyball tournament on the lawn outside Beede-Hamil Hall. After working up a sweat and an appetite, the students, teachers and family members enjoyed a hearty dinner prepared by the Sterling Lions Club at a Hamburger Feed event, serving as the kick off to the convention.

After dinner the fun continued as the students moved over to the Bank of Colorado Events Center, where they got to hear some of the musical talents of their fellow FFA members and learn the FFA cheer at the FFA's Got Talent show.

The show got the FFA members pumped up and excited for all that the next two days has in store, with competitions and workshops and what is sure to be a ton of memories.

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